Control apparatus



Dec. 23, 1969 u. MENZEL CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 10, 1967 INVENTOR.UWE MENZEL ATTORNEY United States Patent US. CI. 35-11 4 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for simulating the movements about pitch androll axes of a tank traveling through a terrain.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION For training a tank crew it is necessaryto submit the crew during aiming exercises to the various movements of atank traveling through a terrain, in order to exercise the correctreaction of the crew with respect to the various types of movements.Such training by means of a tank traveling through a terrain involvessome disadvantages. In many casesno training area of suflicient size canbe used. It is furthermore disadvantageous that such practice runsrequire a great quantity of fuel and that such training tanks often showessential wear. It, therefore, is desirable to train a tank crew bymeans of a simulator in a manner already done in pilot training. It isan object of this invention to disclose a suitable apparatus forsimulating the movement of a tank about its pitch and roll axis by meansof a training turret which is mounted stationary.

According to the invention a basket which supports the tank crew and thedevices which have to be submitted to the various movements, iscardanically supported within two concentric rings with a mechanismengaging the inner ring below the bottom of the basket and tilting thisring about its gimbal axis. The inner dimensions and the equipment ofthe basket correspond to that of an actual tank. At the top of thebasket here is mounted a light training turret for motion together withthe basket.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drivingmechanism includes a pin which is fixed to the inner ring and extends inthe direction of the axis of that inner gimbal ring. This pin is guidedby means of a supporting disc which is rotatable about the same axis.The pin supporting means can be displaced by controlled amounts awayfrom the center of the disc. If the link between the pin and the disc isdisplaced from the disc center and the disc rotates about its center,the inner gimbal ring, including the basket and the training turret,carries out wobbled movements which are a combination of movements aboutthe pitch and roll axis. In predetermined angular positions of theturret these wobble movements can be restricted to either pitch or rollmovements. The amount of the displacement of the pin guiding means awayfrom the center determines the amplitude of the motion.

The training turret with its circular track is supported rotatably bythe inner gimbal ring. In order to submit the turret additionally torotation about its vertical or yaw axis according to further improvementof the invention an intermediate ring is mounted rotatably within andwith respect to the inner gimbal ring and bears the circular track ofthe turret so that the turret can be rotated with respect to thisintermediate ring. If the intermediate ring is rotated, it has the sameinfluence on the turret and its crew as a rotation of tank about itsvertical axis. By means of the azimuth aiming mechanism the crew canpivot the turret within the intermediate ring in such a manner that icethe orientation of the turret with respect to the terrain remainsconstant. Instead of an intermediate ring one could use a rotatablesupporting plate which carries the supporting pillars for the outergimbal ring. Turning the turret about its yaw axis, then however, wouldrequire more energy. Such rotation of the turret about its yaw axis, ofcourse, could also be simulated by feeding suitable disturbance signalsinto the azimuth aiming mechanism.

For displacing the pin support out of its center position according to apreferred embodiment of the invention, two spindles, preferably threadedspindles, extending parallel to the supporting disc are used. Guided bythese two spindles are two spindle nuts which bear a supporting piecefor the pin which can be displaced out of its center position. Thesupporting piece is rotatable about an axis which lies in the plane ofthe two spindles and cuts the spindles under angle. The pin is guidedwithin a hole of the plug support so that it can be moved axially andalso can be rotated with respect to the guiding piece. The rotation ofthe supporting disc about its center axis and the displacement of theguiding piece on the supporting disc, or preferably accomplished byseparate motors so that during the rotation of the supporting disc theamplitude of the wobble motion may be changed by means of displacing thesupporting piece.

Further features of the invention are disclosed in the claims and willbecome apparent from the following description of the embodiment asshown in the drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The training turret 1 with its basket 2 is with itscircular track rotatably supported in the inner gimbal ring 3 of thetraining apparatus. In the drawing basket 2 is only schematically shownby four poles and a platform at the bottom. In practice the basket willbe closed and support all equipment of a normal tank turret. The innergimbal ring 3 is supported pivotally at the outer ring 5 by means of twopins 4. The two supporting pins 6 of the outer ring 5 are displaced withrespect to that of the inner ring about 90 degrees and are born in twosupporting pillars 7. By means of this cardanic support turret 1 can betilted about any axis lying in the horizontal. plane through pins 6. Thetilting motion of the turret 1 is effected by means of a drivingmechanism which engages the basket 2 below its bottom.

For this purpose four support members 14, extending downwardly, arefixed to the inner gimbal ring 3 and are joined together below thebottom of basket 2. Fixed to these support members is a pin 15 whichextends in direction of the center axis of the inner gimbal ring 3. Thefree end of pin 15 is guided within a guiding piece 13 which can berotated about axle 16 and can be moved in a direction parallel tosupporting disc 8 by means of two threaded spindles 10. Guided by thesespindles 10 are two spindle nuts 11 which bear axle 16. By these meansguiding piece 13 can be displaced away from its central position and thepin can move along its axis within the guiding hole of guiding piece 13.If now disc 8 is rotated by means of motor 9, the inner gimbal ring 3and with it turret 1 and basket 2 carry out wobble motions about the twocardan axes 4-4 and 6-6. The more guiding piece 13 for pin 15 isdisplaced out of the central position the greater will be the amplitudeof such wobble motion. Additionally, turret 1 and basket 2 can berotated by means of the azimuth aiming mechanism and the circular trackwith respect to cardan ring 3.

For guiding pin 15 in the guiding piece 13 this may be provided with ahole in which the pin 15 can be displaced axially as well as rotated.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for simulating the motion of a tank about its pitch androll axes as such tank is moving through the terrain, said apparatuscomprising:

a basket for carrying the equipment and the crew; an inner and an outerconcentric ring, the inner ring being attached to said basket, the outerring being attached to support means, and the two rings being connectedto each other for relative angular motion with respect to each other;and driving means for tilting said inner ring, said driving meansincluding, a pin rigidly connected to the inner ring and extending alongthe direction normal to the plane of the ring, a pin guiding meansattached to a rotatable supporting disc for engaging said pin in amanner which will determine its position relative to said disc but whichWill leave it free to turn relative to said pin guiding means as thedisc rotates, said pin guiding means being adjustable for variouspositions relative to said disc, and means for rotating said disc. 2.Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pin is carried by a framewhich surrounds the basket and is fixed to the inner ring.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the pin guiding means issupported by means of two parallel threaded spindles carried by saidsupporting disc.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said pin guiding means issupported on an aXle extending between the two spindles and carried bytwo spindle nuts, said guiding means further having a central hole forengaging said pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,485,266 10/1949 Edinburg 3512 X2,524,238 10/1950 Soule 35-12 X 2,930,144 3/1960 Fogarty 35l2 EUGENE R.CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner P. v. WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl.X.R.

